AFC Playoff Picture: Who’s IN and Who’s OUT? | Ravens, Jaguars, Texans, Chiefs, Chargers, & More

AFC Playoff Picture: Who’s IN and Who’s OUT? | Ravens, Jaguars, Texans, Chiefs, Chargers, & More

Hey everyone, welcome into HQ Spotlight. I’m Jacqueline D. Augustino. I’ll be with you for the next hour or so. The AFC South is heating up. I haven’t said that in a hot minute, but things are getting interesting as we’re heading into week 14 because with the Colts losing to the Texans, plus the Jags beating the Titans, now the Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting at top of the division ahead of a very pivotal matchup in the division where the Jags are about to face the Colts in week 14. But if the season ended today, here is what the AFC playoff picture would look like. The Broncos sitting at 10 and two would be the one seed. Patriots also there as the division leader as mentioned the Jags leading the AFC South and then the Ravens who despite losing to the Bengals still sitting at 500. The wildard teams would be the Chargers, the Colts and the Bills. And then in the hunt it is very very crowded with teams like the Texans who have won four in a row. The Steelers who feel like they are going in the very exact opposite direction of the Houston Texans and the Chiefs on the outside looking in. I can’t remember the last time we’re talking about the Chiefs on the outside looking in the Bills as a wildcard team in the Ravens. They’re the division leader, but they’re still sitting at 500 as you’re entering week 14 of the season. Back here on set, we have RGM Ran Carth on here with us. Ran, it is kind of wonky. And before we get into it, it feels like the AFC is kind of all over the place and wide open in a sense, doesn’t it? As you were talking about that whole graphic, I was like, that’s a lot. It is a lot. It’s it’s a lot. And like you said, I mean to see where the Chiefs are, for the Dolphins to be where they are at this point when we were firing the GM, firing the head coach, blowing up the entire building, just completely scrubbing the organization and they’re still a fighting chance. Yeah, the Bengals, who would have thought Joe Burrow’s done, season’s over, throw them in a trash can, and now here they are. And still, they’re still in the hunt. So, this AFC playoff picture is wide open. It is wide open. And that is why we have tasked you with the very difficult exercise of telling us who was in and who is out. Yeah. Thanks, Producer James. I appreciate it. Yeah, we got you. We know you can handle it, right? So, we’re going to start. We’re going to go division by division, right? And we’re starting with, of course, the AFC South because things just got really, really interesting. We’re looking at the remaining schedule here and of course the Jags are sitting on top of the division right now. I have no idea what this team’s identity is. It changes from week to week it feels like, but hey, there they are. and they have a very pivotal match up with the Colts ahead in in week 14 and then also very pivotal for the Texans as they are facing the Chiefs. So that’s a whole lot to take in Rand. So who is in and who is out when it comes to the AFC South and getting into the playoffs? Well, I’ll say let’s start with the Jags and I have the Jags and if we could leave this graphic up or we can go back to that graphic real quick if you don’t mind. Just the Jags, they have two remaining games we see there against uh the Jets and the Titans. two very winnable games for them which I believe will get them to 10 wins and from there I think they get in. Now will they win the division? That part I don’t know but for this exercise will they get in? I think they will get in just based off of their schedule. Um and so I I just think with where they’re playing right now again you’re a Jags fan. I am. And so you’ve been riding the es and flows of this Jacksonville Jaguars team and we don’t know which version of this team we’re going to get on any given day, but we know that there’s enough talent there for them to win. And with the Colts, because the Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville since 2014. So do you think they’re going to split this season series? How do you think that shakes out? And then you’ll we can transition into the Colts and what that means for them. Yeah, I think they’ll split. Okay. I think they’ll split some version. I know uh our own Pete Prrisco was talking about um that losing streak um that’s happened there and I was unfamiliar with it but it’s true. It’s it’s there. So I I I believe in in my gut they’ve built enough of a of a window for themselves, the Colts that is, and that they will get in. Now my big worry for them right now is the injury to Daniel Jones and his lack of mobility at this point because there it is a lower leg fracture. Uh I believe uh the San Francisco 49ers Fred Warner played with it for most of the year. Um but with Daniel Jones having to evade the rush in the pocket and playing against some of these teams that they still have left on their schedule who really get after the quarterback, him not being mobile in the pocket is going to really affect them. However, they have an MVP candidate in Jonathan Taylor in the backfield who I think they need to take a page from the San Francisco 49ers book. when they give McAffrey the ball, 99% of the time they need to do that with with Jonathan Taylor until Daniel Jones gets healthy. But I do think the Colts will get in. Okay. So, you think the Jags and the Colts will get in? What about the Texans? Because the way this team looked to start this season, it was looking really bleak and they’ve rattled off four straight wins and they have a very, very pivotal matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs coming up on deck. Well, sounds nice. Make it thrice. I I do think there’s a a really strong scenario where the AFC South will have three representatives in the playoffs. However, the matchup this weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs will decide that. I truly believe. I know there’s more more games to play from here on out. The Kansas City Chiefs can’t afford to lose a game. They lose a game, it’s it’s over for them. Um but I think the way Andy Reid is as a coach, he’ll have them ready to go and ready to play. Demo Ryan’s, Nick Cacerio have built a championship level defense, the top defense in the league. And I think we’re going to start to see CJ Strad and Nick Kaye hit their stride as a quarterback and play caller. So I I really believe the winner of this matchup will be the other representative in the AFC playoff picture. Okay, so we’re talking a lot about Jags and the Colts, but maybe more so more pressure on the Texans here as they’re taking on the Chiefs. I I will say this real quick. With the way the Texans are playing right now, I don’t think anybody in the AFC wants to see them. I don’t think so either. I think uh CJ Strauss said they’re very dangerous. He told that to Evan Washburn and I certainly believe that man. Okay, if we go to the AFC North because this is real interesting because for a while it was looking like the Steelers. Here come the Ravens but then the Ravens lost to the Bengals and Joe Burrow is back. So Ran just rapid fire here. Ravens, Steelers, Bengals. Who’s in? Who’s out in the AFC North? Ravens in, Steelers out, Bengals out. Okay, but Ravens are in and Steelers are out. So, I want to circle back on that because I’m I’m guessing you don’t think there there’s any sort of upwards trajectory for the Pittsburgh Steelers at this moment in time based off of what we saw, especially against the Bills. Yeah. No, I I don’t I don’t think so. And I think it’s simple. Whoever wins that division obviously is in that will be the only representative, which I think it’s going to be the Baltimore Ravens right now. The Pittsburgh Steelers. you have an aging quarterback who is um broken nose now, broken left wrist, and just the way this offense is playing, they don’t have a rhythm. They don’t have an identity. And you heard Aaron Rogers say after the game last night that there he’s not on the same page with these receivers. And so, we’ve heard that story before, right? But I just don’t think they have the makeup right now to finish out strong and win that division. Okay. And if any of y’all want Mike Tomlin fired, don’t talk to me. I don’t want to hear Don’t talk to me either. No, I I don’t I don’t subscribe to any sort of Mike Tomlin being fired anything. We’re moving on. AFC West. Okay. Um, this is getting also interesting because the Broncos are 10 and two and there’s still some haters out there that are saying Bo Knicks is not consistent. He doesn’t make the big plays and whatever. You still have the Chargers that are in it and aside from all that Bick’s, you know, criticism, they are the current one seed in the AFC and finding ways to win. And we talked about the Chiefs as well. You don’t want to count them out, but they are sitting at 500 and they’re in the hood technically. So, who’s in? Who’s out? Walk us down the line here. Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs. Broncos in, Chargers out, Chiefs this weekend will decide. So, if the Chiefs lose to the Texans, you believe that they will be out of the playoffs? I I think they’ll be out and I still I’m still not buying that stock in the Chargers. I know they right now, I’ll say it this way. You’re without your two starting left. Oh, just two starting tackles, excuse me. Which has presented a problem even when Justin Herbert was healthy. Yeah. Now Justin Herbert has been getting banged up every week. And then now he’s having a procedure done on his non-throwing hand, which now you got to adjust the the game plan uh to account for that and to protect him. It’s just going to be too much. And you looked at that schedule uh that we had up. It’s just going to be a tough road for uh the Chargers to finish out. And that’s where I say that it’s going to come down between the Chiefs and the Texans that will be able to uh to jump the Chargers cuz we see here you have the Eagles, you have the Chiefs who are fighting for their lives, you have the Texans who are fighting for their lives, and then the Broncos to end it out will be playing for the number one spot up against the Patriots. And so I think that that’s where the Chargers will fall to and and the Cowboys too, there is belief amongst the fan base and the locker room. There’s always belief amongst the I know. I’m engaged to one. They’re insane. Um, it’s just they I feel like they feel like they’re going to be fighting for something as well given the last, you know, what three games that they’ve ratted off in one. If we go to the AFC East, I talked about at the top of the show, it’s been a minute since we talked about the AFC South getting competitive and it’s been a minute since we’ve talked about the Patriots being on top in the AFC East and not the Bills. So, here’s where where things stand. The Patriots, they’ve they got 10 wins. Looks like I don’t I don’t want to write off the Giants, but that that is kind of a winnable game that we’re going to get in action tonight. And then the Bills coming off that big win to the Steelers. Who’s in? Who’s out? Are they both in? Both in. Okay. I think it’s I think it’s really that simple. Um I think these are the two two of the better teams in the AFC. I know the the Buffalo Bills have kind of been inconsistent. We’ve been riding the es and flows, but you do have the reigning MVP and Josh Allen still on your team and and at any given moment he’ll get hot. And I think they just have this nice combo of Josh Allen and uh James Cook and they just have to be willing to ride that out and see what those guys are. This this defense is very opportunistic and is built to play with the lead and I think down the stretch that those two guys and Josh Allen and James Cook will put the team on their on their back and carry them into the playoffs. If you have Josh Allen, you have a chance really quick in 5 seconds. Who do you think wins the AFC when it’s all said and done? Oo, I wasn’t ready for that one. I should let the 5 seconds run out. Um, I’ll roll with Give me the Ravens. The Ravens. Okay, I like it. That was my preseason pick, so I’m just rolling. And they’re I mean, hey, they’re at top of the division right now, so nothing is out of the question. The Ravens seven to one to win the AFC. I like those odds. Maybe I’ll be become a betting woman after this segment ran.

Ran Carthon joins CBS Sports HQ Spotlight to discuss the AFC playoff pictures & who he thinks will make the playoffs.

[0:00:00] AFC Playoff Picture
[0:02:17] AFC South remaining schedules
[0:06:11] AFC North remaining schedules
[0:07:26] AFC West remaining schedules
[0:09:17] AFC East remaining schedules

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